Stargate Atlantis: S7 The Fossil Key Part Five Extinction Debt
by the morrighan
Summary: These stories are a continuation from the season 6 stories to be found in the T section. This is the fifth story of five, and the last. A dangerous gamble leads to fractured friendships and restored alliances...and the triumphant return of Atlantis. Thanks for reading.
1. Chapter 1

Stargate Atlantis: S7 The Fossil Key

Part Five: Extinction Debt

John Sheppard sat in the conference room which had become his office, of sorts. Atlantis was quiet; a city fully powered and secure, under his command and running smoothly as it floated on the ocean waves. It was the jewel of the galaxy and the city knew it too. It also knew John very well. After the latest crisis of being submerged, then having its AI split into two and nearly destroying itself in the process John had saved her and made her whole. John had protected her from the alien threat and seemingly chased them away, for the moment.

The city was joined to John now in a way that was far more powerful than his ATA gene.

John rubbed his chin, gaze straying off the various monitors to stare into space as his thoughts wandered, as his mood darkened. Things were getting back to normal but in some ways things would never be the same. They couldn't be, not after what Moira had endured. It had taken all of John's self-control not to throttle Carson for what he had done to Moira; the systematic torture all in the name of trying to cure her of the hallucinations that had been plaguing her. To be fair it hadn't really been Carson but the entity inside of him, but it still rankled and he knew that Moira wasn't ready to trust the doctor yet.

She wasn't ready to trust anyone. Her memories were disjointed, some gone entirely due to the electroshock treatments, but she did remember being held down while the treatment had been administered. She remembered the hallucinations of the aliens and the way the others in the city had mocked her, disregarded her and wanted to separate her from John.

She didn't trust anyone yet. Not even John, not entirely as her hallucinations of him had shown him aloof, disinterested and not willing to help her. Which was the furthest thing from reality and although she knew that she couldn't help but wonder, at times.

John couldn't blame her. He sighed. He knew it would take time to convince her how much he cared about her. At least she still wore the wedding ring and they were technically engaged, although neither had said a word about when the marriage would take place.

If it would take place at all.

"John?"

John looked up, startled by the soft, female voice. He smiled as Moira O'Meara stood in the doorway, staring at him, holding a data pad to her chest. She wore a white lab coat and her brown hair was loose, spilling along her shoulders and down to her breasts. "Moy?"

Moira hesitated. John had been deep in thought, brooding. His handsome face had been serious as he had been staring into space. He was impossibly handsome, clad in a simple black t-shirt and gray pants. His dark brown hair was disordered as usual. A sexy line of scruff darkened his jaw and chin. His strong arms were resting on the table, fingers flexing and tapping until he stilled them. The monitor's light cast a bluish glow onto him, making his hair darker and his green eyes a strange shade of turquoise.

"Moira?" He gestured, inviting her, brows furrowing at her reluctance.

Moira entered the room. She quickly closed the distance between them but did not take the proffered chair next to him. She set down the data pad, opened it and turned it to face him. "I've been running some preliminary analysis on the Homo erectus communications and so far we have a rudimentary understanding of their language. It's unlike any known languages but with the Gaelic go-between I think I can translate some of it."

"And?" John wasn't looking at the data pad. He was looking at her. He was watching as her lab coat opened to reveal the snug gray t-shirt she had on that revealed the curve of each breast. He was watching the way strands of her hair curled down to her chest as she leaned slightly forward. He was imagining the curves of her rear in the snug khaki pants she wore. He was watching the serious expression on her face as she stared at the data pad, brown eyes full of concern and gravity. One pupil was encircled by purple and it appeared to be violet in the computer light. Her rosy lips were pursed with concentration.

She frowned, meeting his gaze except his gaze was on her chest again. She straightened and closed the lab coat over her shirt, making him scowl. "And? I'm sorry. I thought you would be interested in knowing what the Homo erectus were saying to each other and if it possibly involved discussion of Atlantis!"

John smiled, slouching back in the chair as her anger was making his cock jerk in his pants. He licked his lips slowly, a deliberate seduction as she stared, flustered. "Ya know what I really am interested in knowing, Doctor O'Meara?" he drawled, voice low and raspy. "I am very interested in knowing exactly what color you have on today. What color is under that tight little shirt, hmm?"

Moira smiled at his flirtation, his teasing. It was familiar. It was provocative. She replied, "You don't need to know that, colonel. Seriously, John, if you would just look at the readout the—"

He moved to his feet suddenly, so swiftly she stumbled backwards, startled. "No. I need to know that, in all seriousness, Moira." He stepped to her and took hold of the lab coat. He flung it open to either side and slid his hands up to cup her breasts, to gently fondle as he leaned close and down and caught her mouth with his.

Moira squirmed, catching his arms to push but she melted into the kiss as he wooed and persuaded. He freed her breasts only to slide his arms around her and draw her close. He kept kissing her, opening her lips to his and angling his tongue to glide as his hands slid down to grab her rear and squeeze and squeeze. Moira whimpered, yelped at his groping, squirming against his hard body, his hardening cock.

John trailed his mouth across his cheek to her ear. His scruff was abrasive on her skin, seductive and her body was vividly reacting to his now. "Moira," he said gruffly into her ear, kissing along her throat now, soft kisses trailing to her collarbone.

"John," she sighed, hands running along his chest, his sides as the longing for him was intense, sad and lustful all at once. She gasped as he suddenly lifted her and placed her onto the table. The data pad skittered across the smooth surface as he shoved it aside, intent on having sex with her now. He kissed her, shoving her thighs open and stepping close. He slid his hands up under her shirt, under the bra to caress her bare breasts, to slide his calloused fingers along her hard, rosy nipples.

"Moira, fuck I need to fuck you now," he muttered in a growl. He gently pushed her onto her back and freed her only to undo his pants.

"John…John, wait!" She stared, aroused and flustered. She was breathing heavily, clothes disordered by his wandering hands. She moved but he shook his head, gaze devouring her, keeping her in place. She watched as he unzipped his pants. The sound was loud, loud in the quiet city. "Um, John…the the door?"

"Barn door's open, baby. Just have to undo yours now," he said with a smile.

"No! The door to this room! The…oh!"

He caught hold of her pants and undid them, unzipped and yanked them off her. "I don't fucking care. Ah…blue." He eyed the skimpy satin panties.

"Well I do!" She sat up but he grinned, pushing her onto her back, and kissing her. "John!"

"Don't worry about it baby oh fuck that is sweet," he said, long fingers sliding along her cleft now as he kissed her again. She moaned into his mouth, squirming on the table.

"John, wait! John, we can't have sex on the oh John, John!" Her protest ended in a whimper as he took hold of her moist panties and ripped them off her. She gasped at his rash action. The sound of ripping fabric was erotic, passionate. His fingers plied her intimately now and she pulled at his arms, arching as he quickly undid his shorts and thrust into her.

"Fuck! Fuck there it is, baby!" he exulted, voice raw with hunger and pleasure and he thrust and thrust, plying her and the table as well. He grabbed her shirt and shoved it up, shoved up the bra as well. He leaned close, slowing his motions to kiss and nibble her breasts, biting gently.

"John! John, oh God we shouldn't be doing this here the door is oh John John!" she cried breathlessly, clawing at his arms and shoulders as he resumed his frenetic rush to release. Her words and warnings dissolved to inarticulate sounds, only making him harder and hungrier. She clung as the table was violently shaking under her, as the monitors began to beep in complaint, as John thoroughly plied her until he groaned in relief and she cried out as the orgasm flooded and burst within her.

John caught his breath, leaning on her now, energies spent and lust assuaged. He turned his head to look out the open door. No one was there but he could hear voices. A smirk blossomed on his face and he lifted to kiss Moira deeply before he straightened and slid out of her. "We've got company, baby, so move that pert little ass."

"What?" Moira asked, lost in a daze of sexual pleasure. "What?" she exclaimed. John chuckled as she sprang to her feet and grabbed her pants. She looked round. John was fixing his attire. One foot was firmly on her torn panties. "John! John!" She glared, quickly put on her pants and fixed her bra and her shirt as he grinned at her, not moving. "You bastard!" she softly flared, wrapping her lab coat around her like a shield and trying to fix her wayward hair.

John laughed. "Fuck you are making me horny all over again," he said with a raised brow. He turned, placing his boot over the torn panties so that only a tiny bit of blue fabric was visible. "Don't tell me there's another problem," he said calmly, voice losing its sexy growl and hoarseness. He watched Rodney enter, followed by the rest of the team.

Rodney McKay was shaking his head. "Of course there's a problem! I've been paging you but you seem to have gone deaf! Look at this! I've been…what's wrong with the computers?" he asked, distracted. He moved to the monitors, silencing their distress and righting them.

John smiled and shrugged. "Hell if I know. Moira, any idea?"

Moira glared at him. "Hilarious, colonel." She moved to the back of the room suddenly.

John watched her a moment, then turned to the group. "Well, is anyone gonna tell me or do I have to guess?"

Jason Reynolds was staring at Moira, but he met John's gaze suddenly. "Sir, we've detected a bio sign on the mainland."

"He means the city has detected a life sign on the mainland and it is reading as human," Rodney corrected.

"And as there is no one on the mainland—" Amelia Banks-Dex began.

"It's a fugly," Ronon Dex finished for her.

"We've got a fugly on the mainland, sir," Jason confirmed.

"How is that possible? A survivor from the submersible?" John guessed, serious now as he eyed each of them in turn. He knew Moira was behind him and he wondered why she didn't correct him over the name of the aliens like she always did.

"More than likely," Rodney agreed. He accessed a monitor and brought up the scan in real time on the screen. "We can track him somewhat and get a general position, but it's not exact. There is still too much interference but it's perfectly safe for us, I mean for you to go out there."

John smiled briefly and met Ronon's gaze. "We go in ten."

"Wait John," Moira said, moving to his side. She touched his arm.

John turned to her as Ronon left the room, a smile on his face. "What is it, Moira?"

"You can't just go and kill it. This is an unprecedented opportunity to try to communicate with a new species, a new species of human!"

"What? It's the enemy!" Amelia exclaimed.

"Do you think you can communicate with it?" Carson Beckett asked.

"More importantly it can't communicate with the others. As far as I can tell that other ship is too far away," Rodney stated.

Moira ignored them all, keeping her gaze locked with John's. "It's isolated and probably injured. It can pose no harm to us so we must take this chance to try to communicate, even on a basic level. We could learn something, John, something we may need in the future if we run into them again, or if they come looking for us."

"It's too risky, sir. As far as they know Atlantis is gone, destroyed. If we show up and somehow this thing communicates that to the others…"

"I told you, the neural implant can't transmit that far," Rodney argued.

"I think it's worth a shot, if only to learn more about them," Carson agreed.

"It needs to be killed before the rest discover us!" Amelia insisted.

Moira ignored them, her hand a gentle pressure on John's arm. He was the only one in the room for her, and only his opinion and decision mattered. "John, please. I can take the translation program with me and I think I can utilize the Gaelic interface to communicate. It's worth the risk, you know it is."

He nodded. "Get ready to deploy in ten. We will try to communicate, but we do have to kill it. Go."

Moira nodded and freed his arm. She grabbed her data pad and exited the room.

"Sir, I don't think it would be wise to take her along with you on this—"

"Did I ask for your opinion, major? Reynolds, you're with us on this one. We go in ten." As Jason left John turned to Rodney. "Will a handheld life signs detector work to track it?"

"Yes…but it will read as human, like we do."

"Crap. Okay, we can isolate the signal then. What about that other ship, Fugly One?"

"Still traveling at sub light away from us. It's been damaged, that much I do know. I haven't picked up any other communications so far."

"Keep tracking it, no, Banks-Dex, you keep an eye on that ship and any interspace communications. Keep an eye out for any incoming transmissions and report them to me immediately. Rodney, I need a suitable weapon ASAP."

"I know! I can't build a Penning trap in a day, you know!"

"Fine. You've got a week. Let's move, people! The sooner we clean this up the sooner our people can come home!" John headed for the doorway, herding them out of the conference room.

"Um, John? You might want to, um…remove that."

"What?" John turned, following Carson's pointing finger to the floor where the ripped blue panties were visible now that he had moved. "Oh. Yeah. Thanks, doc." He smiled and quickly snatched them off the floor, stuffing them into his pants pocket.

"John, I noticed a gold ring on Moira's left hand. Does that mean what I think it means?" the doctor asked, following the military commander out of the room.

John glanced at him, shrugged. "Um, yeah. We're, we're engaged." It felt awkward to say out loud, and that made John feel almost defiant about it, as if he expected the doctor to try to talk him out of it. But the doctor appeared to be delighted.

Carson smiled. "Congratulations!" He clapped John on the back. "Have you set a date?"

"No. Not yet. Been kinda busy, doc."

"Och, of course! Well, congratulations to the both of you!"

"Um, thanks. Gotta go!" John strode away from the doctor, feeling both uncomfortable and pleased all at once.


	2. Chapter 2

Stargate Atlantis: S7 The Fossil Key

Part Five: Extinction Debt2

Moira paused in the Jumper bay. Ronon and Jason stood near a Jumper, quietly talking as they held their weapons. Their low voices were serious, expressions grim. Moira's fingers tightened on the lap top she held. She knew they were probably discussing the best and most efficient way to kill the Homo erectus one it had been found, but another part of her mind whispered that they were discussing the best way to dispose of her.

"Ready?"

She gasped, whirled as John was standing behind her. She had not heard him come up behind her and she stared, startled for a moment. She knew that John would never hurt her, but she couldn't help the lingering uncertainty she still held about him.

John smiled at her. He was wearing a TAC vest and holding a P-90. His gaze roved over her ponytail, her gray t-shirt and khaki pants. "I trust you found another pair of panties to wear?" he teased quietly.

She smiled. "Yes, colonel, no thanks to you, and no, I am not telling you the color."

He pouted. "Fine…I will just have to find out for myself this evening." He raised a brow.

She rolled her eyes and turned away from him, but turned back, suddenly serious. "John, thank you. I know you don't like this but you can see the importance of it."

"You're right, I don't like it," he agreed, becoming serious as well. "But I do see the importance of it. You stick to me like glue, Moira, you got that? You don't take a step away from me."

"Okay."

"Okay. Let's go, sweetheart." He took her arm and led her to the ship. "You're riding shotgun," he informed, nodding at the two men and entering the ship. He slid into the pilot's seat, glancing over as Moira took the seat next to him. He looked over his shoulder as Ronon shut the hatch and took a seat next to Jason. "The mission is simple. We find this thing, attempt communication and then—"

"Kill it," Ronon finished for him. His voice was grim, determined.

"Yes." John nodded, turned back to the viewport and powered up the ship. "Open the bay doors, Rodney. We'll be back in twenty, thirty tops."

"Be careful, John," Rodney said, fingers flying over the controls.

"Just keep eyes on that ship and anything else out there. Sheppard out. Here we go."

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Rodney sighed. "I should have gone with them."

Amelia snorted as she sat at a console. "No, I should have, but I am sure they can handle killing one fugly." She powered up a computer and initiated a scan. "Besides, we have jobs to do here."

"Like keeping an eye on any traffic, and communications," Rodney agreed.

"Yes, doctor. If that thing somehow transmits to its kind out there we will be seriously—"

"Screwed, yes, I know, but I keep telling you, I keep telling everyone that it can't transmit at these distances. That neural transmitter is too weak to go beyond our atmosphere and orbit and the odds of a ship even coming close to oh I'm talking to myself," he noted as Amelia had put on a set of headphones and was going over the scans. Rodney sighed and stared at the Stargate.

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The ship landed with a bump after an uneventful flight over the ocean. John activated the HUD and his eyes narrowed as the scanner pinpointed one specific dot amid the grid.

"Is that her?" Ronon asked, honing in on the dot as well.

"Yeah. Let's go. And remember what I said. We attempt communication first, then—"

"Kill it," Ronon finished again. He grinned and moved to the rear of the ship.

"Yes, sir," Jason said. He glanced at Moira then followed after Ronon.

John moved to his feet, grabbing his P90. He caught Moira's arm as she stood. "You stick to me like glue, got it? We will try things your way but if that thing makes any aggressive move or draws its weapon we will shoot it."

"Just give me a chance, John! That's all I'm asking!" she flared, pulling free of his grasp and moving to the back of the ship.

"Then give me the same," he muttered. He followed and moved in front of her. At his nod Ronon opened the hatch and they stepped out onto the hard ground.

The devastation from the city rising was obvious. The massive waves caused by the disruption had created a tsunami that had hit the mainland. Downed trees were everywhere; they lay strewn like corpses and whole swaths of forest were gone, bludgeoned by the force of the water. The ground was a mixture of mud and grit, hard-packed under their feet but sloshy in other places. The air had a tang of seawater to it and the wind was gusting, tossing debris into their path.

Ronon took point, wielding his big gun from side to side. Jason took the six, his eyes moving everywhere when they weren't fixated on Moira. She walked next to John, holding her lap top tightly as the wind whipped her ponytail into a brown frenzy behind her. John consulted his bio-scanner and raised his hand. The group paused as did Ronon, sensing the cessation of motion behind him.

"Ahead of us…not far. Use extreme caution and remember my orders," John said. "Reynolds?"

"No radiation readings, sir," the major confirmed. He slid his scanner into his pocket, hefting his gun in readiness.

"Why don't we save ourselves the time and just kill it?" Ronon asked. He masked his nervousness by scanning the area. The thought of facing one of these aliens again was making him queasy and he fought to keep his nervousness from his voice.

"We will, after we try to communicate."

"I think that's just stupid," Ronon argued, looking at Moira. He knew she had initiated the idea, not Sheppard. He glared at her, finding a target to keep his mind off the fear that was causing his injury to ache with every step as memory tried to surface.

"Nevertheless we may learn some intel. My orders stand," John said gruffly. "Move out."

They moved past the debris of the exploded ship. Pieces of the vessel stuck out like metal fingers, but most of what was left was infinitesimal, having been burned up in the atmosphere. There were no bodies, no organic remains. They circled round a clump of downed trees tangled with seaweed when Ronon raised his hand, halting them.

The Satedan dropped into a crouch behind a downed tree trunk. "There."

The others joined him, squatting down. A few feet away a figure could be seen staggering amid the debris. It was a fugly. Blood stained its battered armor and the neural implant was not lit. There was no red light on its bald head to indicate the transmitter was active. It held a long weapon that it was using as a crutch as it sorted through pieces of the ship.

Ronon aimed his weapon. Jason did the same.

John restored his bio-scanner to his TAC vest and studied the fugly for a moment. It was hard to believe that this thing, this alien was a species of human that had gone extinct on Earth millions of years ago. That this species had evolved much like Homo sapiens had, adapting to their planet and advancing in technology.

He glanced at Moira. She was staring at the fugly too, serious expression on her face. There was sympathy there, compassion for a creature cut off from all of its kind, stranded on an alien planet, alone in a hostile environment and he wondered if she felt the same way. He touched her arm, motioning. "Let's go. Nice and slow. You two will cover us and do what needs to be done if there's a threat."

"Give us time to talk with it," Moira added, moving to her feet.

John led her carefully round the tree, keeping the cover as long as he could. His boots squelched in the mud but the fugly appeared to be oblivious. He stepped ahead of Moira and out into the open. He raised his gun and advanced, finger poised on the trigger.

The fugly moved quickly. The creature dropped the piece of metal it had been holding and lurched, lifting its gun to aim at John. It didn't fire.

John didn't fire either as he stopped.

The two males stared at each other, silent, assessing.

Moira's heart was racing. She boldly stepped between them. "Wait, just wait!" She opened her lap top and turned it to the Homo erectus. "Look! Look! We can talk through this. We can…we can talk…this…" She pointed at the screen where a marking was displayed. It was the same marking on the ship, on the creature's armor.

"Moira," John said angrily. He could feel Ronon's and Jason's guns trained on the fugly, but now they were trained on Moira as she stood in the line of fire.

The alien stared and lowered its weapon.

Moira took a step closer, gesturing as her fingers slid over the lap top, activating the program. She paused, nodding, gesturing with one hand, the screen displaying symbols.

The alien took a step closer, gun lowered, gaze on Moira and the screen. It appeared puzzled, curious and at the moment non-threatening.

John kept his finger on the trigger, sidestepping so that the fugly was in his line of fire. He stared as a strange, guttural voice came out of the creature, in a language that sounded unlike anything John had ever head in his life. Even more startling was the fact that Moira responded in the same language, with some Gaelic that John could barely recognize.

The fugly's eyes widened as if it was more surprised than John, and he would have found it comical if not for the dire threat the creature posed, not only to Moira but to Atlantis. The neural transmitter flickered. It was a red light on its grey skin and John shifted his stance, lifting his gun imperceptibly.

The alien reached out a hand, a finger towards the symbol on the lap top.

John tensed, finger stroking the trigger.

"No, John…it's the marking," Moira said softly, as if sensing the sudden violent direction that the military commander's reactions were heading. "It's not transmitting," she added.

"Tell it to stop, Moira, or I will make it stop," he said low, but his tone was enough to convey the threat. The creature's gaze moved to him and it bared its teeth in a grimace. "Back away, Moira," John said. He knew danger when he saw it, no matter what the species.

"No. It's all right…it's…" she paused, trying to find the words the Homo erectus would understand. She lifted the lap top again to display the symbol.

The alien glanced at her, at the lap top. It shook its head and looked again at John.

John saw its fingers tighten on the weapon and move it slightly, so slightly but it was enough. It was more than enough and John did what he had to do.

He fired his gun.


	3. Chapter 3

Stargate Atlantis: S7 The Fossil Key

Part Five: Extinction Debt3

Several things happened at once.

Bullets were flying simultaneously. Hearing John firing his weapon both Jason and Ronon fired theirs in a cacophony of violence right into Moira if she had still been standing there. The creature fired its own weapon and a green laser blast spewed from the gun and towards the two men.

Time slowed for John. He fired, lunged and grabbed Moira. He pulled her to the ground and rolled, covering her body with his even as she cried out and protested. "Cease fire! Cease fire!" he ordered harshly. John and Moira rolled out of harm's way as bullets and lasers pinged all around them. John slid on top of her and grabbed his gun, firing from the ground as the creature stood, staggering with the onslaught.

Moira squirmed, trying to escape, horrified at the slaughter. She banged her lap top into John but he was oblivious, firing his gun and keeping her pinned under him. She turned her head to see the Homo erectus falling into the mud. Its armor was streaked with blood and one tremendous hole was gaping at the torso. Guts were spilling and Moira fought the urge to vomit. She closed her eyes, still pushing at John.

"Cease fire! Cease fire, damn it!" John repeated, stilling his own gun but keeping it trained on the fallen fugly. He winced at Moira's lap top was jabbing a rib. "Stop that!" he scolded, shifting on her body but not freeing her, not yet as the fugly was still alive.

"Then get the fuck off me!" she flared, ramming her elbow into him.

"Ouch! Quit that, damn it!" he snarled, as the guns finally went silent. "You stay right here! Right fucking here!"

Moira stared, wide-eyed at the fury in his tone, but it didn't seem to be directed at her. He moved off her, moved to his feet and held his gun trained on the fugly. He took a few steps towards it, keeping himself between Moira and the alien, between Moira and the other two men who were heading for them. Moira moved to her feet, clutching her lap top. She couldn't bring herself to look at the alien so instead she stared at John.

He was covered in mud and dirt. It caked his black clothes and clung to his skin, dangling along his bare forearms and snaking down his long legs. His hair was a riot of disorder. When he glanced at her she could see dirt trailing across his handsome face, making his scruff look darker. He looked more dangerous, even sexier, and the fury in his green eyes glinted like diamonds. His full, perfect lips were set in a hard line like the rest of his body as he turned away from her to face the two men and the prone alien. Tension lined his broad back and shoulders, was even evident in his strong legs and thighs and firm rear that was outlined in mud.

"Stop." His voice was quiet, so low it was almost guttural. Nevertheless both men halted in their advance, their gazes moving from the alien to John. "What the fuck was that? No," he held up a hand, halting their voices. "I had the situation under control. You could have hit Moira. In fact you could have killed her and would have killed her if not for me. She was directly in the line of fire and you both could see that as you could see that I had the situation under control. I gave a direct order that you both ignored."

Moira's heart skipped a beat as her gaze darted to the two men. Now she understood John's fury. She didn't move as her paranoia appeared not to be an illusion this time.

"Sir? Sir, we were careful to shoot round her and the alien was going to shoot both of you!" Jason began, startled by the accusation. He glanced at Moira, stared at her muddy, dirty form. He felt a lustful urge and quickly quelled it.

"We knew."

John's fingers tightened on his gun at Ronon's words. Those two words hung in the cold air as the wind whistled around them.

A strange keening hit the air. Jason and Ronon eyed the alien, raising their weapons. John didn't take his eyes off Ronon. He didn't even blink. He lifted his P90 and shot the fugly, hitting the creature in the head and killing it. Moira's gasp told him the deed was done, as did the silence.

The wind whistled round and round and round.

A drop of rain fell from the leaden sky.

"Reynolds, get that thing to the Jumper. Becket will want to do an autopsy." Jason nodded and headed for the alien. He hesitated, but seeing it was dead he grabbed it under the arms and began to haul it out of the mud. "Moira, go with him and get the Jumper powered up. Moira."

Moira was frozen, staring at the two men as they eyed each other. She glanced at Jason as he was hauling the body across the mud and dirt. She decided that discretion was the better part of valor and silently moved past John, following Jason, her eyes on the trail left by the boots of the alien as it was dragged along the ground.

John relaxed a little once Moira was heading for the Jumper. "You wanna explain that?" he asked quietly.

Ronon shrugged. He was still holding his gun but it was at his side. "She was in the way. It came down to saving you from that thing. It was stupid to try to talk to it anyway, Sheppard, but you couldn't see past what you feel for her to see that. Luckily we do."

John blinked, more surprised at the sudden verbosity of his friend than at the content. He glowered. "Is that so?"

"Yes. It was an acceptable risk so we took it. Besides, you got her out of the way in time and we cut down that fugly, so why are we still standing here?"

"Acceptable risk?" John asked quietly, so quietly the wind almost took his words away. "In the way? She was in the way?" he asked slowly, fury building.

Ronon smiled. He just smiled.

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Jason swore as he deposited the body into the back of the Jumper. He wiped his brow, standing over it. It had been a long, difficult haul across the terrain and up the ramp to the ship. He flung a blanket over the grisly sight, scowling at the trail of blood and guts and mud. He looked at Moira as she stood outside of the ship, staring at the body, dismay on her face until she looked away from it.

She was covered in mud and dirt and her damp clothes clung to every curve of her body, every dip and swell. Her ponytail was a mess of long brown hair. She was holding onto her lap top tightly. She met his gaze suddenly. "What? We, we need to go back there!"

"You heard the colonel's orders," Jason refuted, letting his gaze wander over her again. Memory of her partial nudity filled his mind; what he had seen as she had been riding John in the exuberance of sexual passion. "Come in here."

"No. What's going on, Jason?"

He stepped down the ramp to her, taking her arm. "I said to get inside! We will wait here for them!"

She pulled free. "Let go of me! What's gotten into you guys?"

"What's gotten into you…apart from Sheppard, that is," he added with a smile.

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The first punch landed squarely, but Ronon didn't even stagger. John swore as pain flared in his fist, but as he prepared to swing again Ronon's fist cracked against his jaw and John flew backwards. He landed hard into the mud.

Ronon advanced, smiling. "Nice try, Sheppard. You see what she makes you do?"

"It's none of your fucking business!" John snarled, leaping to his feet and lashing out violently. This time Ronon did stagger with the blow, but he replied in kind as John stood, shaking his sore hand. John found himself on his backside in the mud again, with not only an aching hand but an aching jaw as well.

"You would have done the same!"

"No, I wouldn't have! What if it had been Amelia out there?"

"At least she knows the risks and understands them!"

"You just crossed a line, buddy! I won't forget this!"

"Good! Next time act more level-headed and not so infatuated!"

"I will! I…huh? Fuck this." John drew his weapon.

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Moira colored and backed away from Jason, startled by his words, his leering smile. She didn't know what to say. She was full of chagrin realizing that not only did the marine seem to know about her relationship with John; he had also seen her judging by the way his gaze was raking across her.

The sound of a gunshot precluded any further discussion.

Both took off at a run.

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The shot flew wide, missing the man but that was exactly what John had intended. He lowered his 9mm handgun as Ronon remained completely still, not even flinching. Mud splattered up in an arc near his legs.

"John, no! John! It's not worth it! Nothing is!" Moira ran towards the two men, fearing the worst. She halted as John moved to his feet, gun in hand. Jason was right behind her and drew his weapon, not knowing where to point it as both men were armed.

"What? No, it's not what you think. That." He pointed near Ronon's feet.

Moira was staring at John's bruised jaw, then at Ronon's. She finally turned to see a small device that was now in several pieces. "Oh."

"Stand down, major."

"Yes, sir." Jason lowered his weapon, relieved. He eyed the device. "I don't think it was a transmitter, was it?"

"No. It was a self-destruct device," Ronon answered.

"It fell off the fugly's armor," John added.

"Homo erectus," Moira softly corrected, and a quick smile came and went on John's lips.

"Get back to the ship," John ordered. "We are going back to Atlantis. We're done here. Moy." He caught her arm, detaining her.

Ronon scooped up the pieces of the device and followed Jason towards the Jumper. Both men were silent. John watched them go, expression inscrutable as his gaze narrowed.

"John? John, you didn't have to to kill it. We were communicating! We were communicating, John! The symbol! The markings from Earth are exactly the same as the ones that are on the armor and the ships out here! We were communicating! Don't you see, John? I was talking with another species of human from another galaxy! You didn't have to kill it! They didn't have to kill…they didn't…they…what happened back there? What happened now? John? John!"

He met her gaze, glancing at the lap top in her arms. "I'm not sure, Moira, but we're gonna find out, I promise you." His gaze raked across her and he smiled. "After a long, hot shower, that is. Let's go." He paused and drew her close, into a kiss. "And yes, you are worth it," he added gravely, gaze boring into hers. "Never doubt that, baby. Never doubt my feelings for you, for us, okay. No matter what happens."

"Okay," she said, startled by his gravity and warmed by the kiss. She was alarmed too. She walked beside him as they headed for the Jumper. "John? I need to, to collate this data and see if I can translate more of it and then see what Carson finds in the autopsy and—"

"You will do that in our room, Moira, once we get back. We can have dinner there but first we need to get cleaned up and have sex. No, we need to have sex and then get cleaned up," he decided with a smile. The thought of taking Moira when she was dirty and muddy and flustered was very appealing to him.

"What? I mean…what? John, what happened? John? Are you hurt? Were you fighting with Ronon? Why? John, what happened?"

"Don't you worry, baby. I'll handle it."

"Handle what? John!" She stopped, stubbornly waiting.

He turned to her, reacting to her anger. "Ya know what I'd really like to handle?"

"John!" she scolded to his wooing. "What the hell is going on?"

He shrugged. "It's sorted, Moira. Now let's get back to Atlantis."


	4. Chapter 4

Stargate Atlantis: S7 The Fossil Key

Part Five: Extinction Debt4

Carson was tut-tutting as he circled the table in the morgue. Upon it lay the body of the dead alien. Stripped of its armor and clothing the alien was remarkably similar to humans, apart from the grey skin and bulkier build. The neural transmitter had been removed from the head and was in the physics lab for analysis. Carson busily conducted the autopsy, using Ancient scanners and recording his findings.

It was fascinating, if gruesome work. This alien was a species of human that had gone extinct back on Earth, but somehow had thrived out here and had evolved, adapting to a harsh environment. It was distinct from Homo sapiens, yet the same in many ways. The anatomy was similar and apart from the grey skin there was little difference in the internal and external organs to humans from Earth apart from the skeletal dimensions.

He didn't quibble over the ramifications of the discovery; if this species had evolved independently in that other galaxy or had been seeded there by the Ancients thousands of years ago. He wasn't interested in the theological or biological considerations as he worked.

He knew the real story was to be found in the DNA and RNA.

It was time now to get his hands dirty. He picked up a bone saw and glanced across the room. Jason was standing guard, appearing very uncomfortable. The marine was pale, trying not to look at the body being slowly eviscerated but looking all the same. It was like looking at an accident; you wanted to not look but you did look all the same.

Carson smiled. "I'm perfectly safe, major. The specimen is quite dead. You needn't stay here," he said kindly, sympathetic to the younger man's plight.

"Colonel Sheppard's orders," Jason replied. He grimaced as the tang of entrails wafted towards him and he fought the urge to hurl. He glanced next to him where a bucket stood as a precaution.

Carson shook his head, amused and sympathetic. "You must have really pissed him off," the doctor noted with a shrug. He proceeded with the autopsy.

The bone saw whirred and grinded into the ribcage.

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"You're sure?"

Rodney sighed and rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Yes, I am sure. How many times do I need to say it? It's not transmitting at all! It's out of range and yes, before you ask I am tracking Fugly One. The ship is limping back towards the edges of our galaxy to join the other ships, and no, before you ask I haven't been able to pick up any radio transmissions on any frequencies! Amelia is working on that! And no, before you ask I haven't detected any Wraith in the area either. The city is cloaked and secure, all right? Now can I get back to work?"

John smiled at the irascible scientist. "Looks like you have everything covered."

"Yes, I do. You want to tell me about it?" Rodney gestured at the bruise forming on John's jaw.

John shrugged. "Disagreement, that's all."

"With whom? Moira?"

John snorted. "Yeah, she can pack a punch. No, of course not! With Ronon." John glanced round the room. "Something odd happened out there, and I'm not sure if it was just Ronon being practical or something else."

"Odd? Like what? Did Moira communicate with the alien?"

"Yes, she did. In fact I still need to go over that with her." He frowned. He had left Moira in their room, studiously working on her lap top after a quick meal. She seemed absorbed in the data and John had reluctantly left her there to work. "Rodney…keep your eyes open."

"What? Why?" Rodney set down his tools and looked round, met John's gaze but the military commander was quite serious. "What's going on? John? Are you suggesting we are still affected by the city's temporary, um…"

"Insanity?"

"I was going to say glitch, but I guess insanity will do as well."

"Maybe. I don't know."

"Is Moira okay?"

"Yeah. Why would you ask that?"

"She was communicating with the alien. That had to be very odd and unnerving, given her recent hallucinations."

"She was fine. She's fine now," John assured, but he was touched at the physicist's genuine concern.

"Okay, if you say so." Rodney waited, but John was still leaning over the physicist's shoulder, eying the schematics on the screen. Rodney hated when he did that. And John knew it.

"I do say so. Are you suggesting otherwise?"

"No! I am just concerned, is all," Rodney stated, seeing the flare of anger in his friend. "Geez, maybe it's not Ronon at all. Maybe it's you."

"You don't know what went on out there."

"Then tell me!"

"Not now." John straightened. "And keep working on creating an effective weapon like that Penning trap."

"Sure, I will pencil it in for Thursday. Once I get to the store and buy some anti-matter!"

"Good! Make it Wednesday then!"

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"I don't believe it." Amelia was frowning, shaking her head. She was on her knees in front of her husband, holding a wet cloth to his bruised jaw. "If I had known the pair of you were going to act like four-year olds I would have gone myself."

Ronon shrugged. "He started it."

"Is it any wonder? What were you thinking, Ronon?"

Ronon stared. He had expected his wife to agree with him. "You know how it is, Amelia."

She sat back on her haunches. "No, I don't. Why don't you tell me?"

Ronon frowned. "We couldn't let that, that thing live. Not for a second longer! The risk was too great and Sheppard should have known that! To think he would agree to attempt to communicate with that, that thing…it was crazy! It needed to be put down before it contacted more of its kind or somehow got into Atlantis or hurt someone! I did what needed to be done, even if Sheppard didn't have the balls to do it! But at least he finished the job."

"You were willing to shoot a civilian in the process," Amelia said softly. She could hear the tension under Ronon's words, the thread of fear that the Satedan would never acknowledge, not even to himself.

"Yes. It's unfortunate, but it happens. There was too much at stake. You, you don't like her."

"No, I don't," Amelia agreed, "but that doesn't mean I am going to take a gun to her. And our duty, our first duty is to protect the civilians out here. And to obey our commanding officers."

"Even if that commanding officer is sometimes distracted by his infatuation?"

"Yes. Look, Ronon, it must have been terrible out there. To see that thing again, and remembering what happened to you." She glanced at his groin where the healed injury would always be a memento of his last encounter with the aliens. She met his gaze. "And however you may feel about Sheppard and his, his girlfriend you mustn't let that color your own decisions."

Ronon grunted. A wave of anger came and went as her words sunk in and he sighed. "I guess you are right. I…I just…she's a liability, even now and he just can't see it."

"He will, in time." She lifted the washcloth to his jaw again. "You're lucky he didn't shoot you."

Ronon smiled. "He almost did."

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Moira's fingers stilled on the computer. She shoved the keyboard away from her and pushed back from the table. She rubbed her eyes as weariness assaulted her. Words were blurring and emotions were tangling. The horrible visions of the butchered Homo erectus assailed her and she pressed the palms of her hands to her eyes, as if that could stop the memory.

She lowered her hands to gaze around the room. She was alone. There were no hallucinations; no Homo erectus were lurking in the shadows. She knew not everything had been an illusion, however. The disparagement from nearly everyone else had been real enough, as had been the danger judging by John's furious reaction.

Some of her memories were disjointed, and some were gone forever. She rubbed absently at the bruise on her temple. She wondered if she would ever feel safe in Atlantis.

Moira stared at the gold engagement ring encircling her fourth finger on her left hand. She stared. It was a small, plain ring but contained tremendous import. Sometimes she couldn't believe that was quite real either, that a man like John Sheppard would not only love her but want to marry her. Unless that was an illusion as well.

"Moira?"

She lowered her hands, lifted her head to see John standing in the doorway. He appeared uncertain before he shut the door with a wave of his hand. He appeared weary, unkempt. He was holding a bottle of beer in one hand and it was already half-empty. "John? John, I've been going over the program," she said quickly, turning to the lap top as a wave of emotion threatened to spill out of her, "and there was, there was no need to kill it! None at all, and I know you realize that now but still…John, we were able to communicate on a basic level. It was all alone, John, stranded away from its own kind and it wasn't a threat!"

John walked over to her. He set the bottle of beer near the lap top. "Moira."

She pointed at the screen, still not looking at him. "See? There is a direct correlation between this species and the ones that once existed on Earth! Once Carson completes the autopsy we will know for sure and can track the genetic differences between them and us which will have implications for the history of evolution of mankind! The…" She stopped talking. She stood, shoving the chair away from her. She turned to John who was watching her. She hugged him.

John's arms went round her and he kissed her brow, holding her as she clung to him, hiding her face on his shoulder. "Easy, Moy. It's sorted, I promise you. We can go over all this later, right? The thing had to die. You knew that as well as I did. I'm sorry you had to witness it."

She pulled back to see his serious expression. "John, I…I'm sorry. I…" She kissed him. Kiss after kiss, wooing and seeking his warmth, his love, his embrace as if it was the last time.

Moira realized that it probably was.


	5. Chapter 5

Stargate Atlantis: S7 The Fossil Key

Part Five: Extinction Debt5

John groaned in pleasure. His fingers entwined with Moira's as they were sprawled together, naked on the bed. She was squirming deliciously underneath him and her soft sounds were arousing the hell out of him. He kissed her, savoring her soft lips, parting them to dart his tongue only to pull back and nuzzle her earlobe.

His body slid along hers. His body hair was coarse, abrasive on her curves and only enhanced the passion between them. She was yielding, surrendering as her thighs parted and she lifted to beckon him to join with her, to become intimate. He freed her hands to slide lower, mouth gliding along her skin, tasting and teasing as his erection was becoming unbearable now.

Moira whimpered, melting under his amorous attentions. She was enjoying the sheer physicality of their motions. Every touch was warm, exciting. The scratching of his scruff was erotic. The wetness of his tongue across her breasts was sensual, intense. The feel of his very hard cock probing her entrance was maddening, elusive.

Sweat was beading along their hot skin as they prepared to join. The room was dark, warm but the city lights played across the bed, revealing tensing muscles and bare skin.

The foreplay was excruciating and exciting at the same time. The delay to pleasure was making that journey all the more erotic and enjoyable.

John grunted as Moira's nails raked along his arms and his back. He thrust into her at last, exhaling with relief and pleasure as she enfolded him tightly, luring him and driving him to more passionate exertions. He grabbed her hands again, pinning them under his, much as his body was pinning hers. "Moira," he growled.

Moira moaned and moved with him, encompassing all of him as he thrust and thrust. The pleasure was a heavy spiral, moving faster and faster and approaching the climax. "John, oh John, John…" The bed began to shake under them and she slid her feet to bend her knees.

"No one is taking this away from us, baby. No one is taking you away from me!" he insisted, voice low and rough with need and hunger.

Her eyes widened at his words but she was swept away as the tide of orgasm shook them both. Wave after wave drowned her as John took her precisely, almost lazily until his own need took over and he began an energetic rush to release. Moira clung, crying out his name as he swore profusely and shuddered, draining himself as the sexual demands were answered.

After a few more thrusts John slid up and out and kissed her deeply. Kiss after kiss as if he would drown her this way now; as if his tongue would penetrate as deeply and as fully as hic cock had. He rolled off her, sated, tired. He wiped his brow, staring up at the dark ceiling above them. "Fuck that was good, baby. So fucking sweet. Give me ten and we will go again." He licked his lips. His voice was husky, raw and sent a shiver along her skin.

Moira rolled onto her side, catching her breath. She scooted close, half over him and propped herself up on one elbow. She stared at him. The city lights played across him, illuminating half of his handsome face, half of his lean but muscled torso. Small beads of sweat glistened gold on his dark hair. "John?" She gently kissed his lips, stroked his bruised jaw, then his wayward hair. "John…we, we can't."

"We just did, baby," he retorted with a smile, meeting her gaze.

She frowned. "Not that! We can't get married."

"I agree."

"You…huh? Oh." She considered as both relief and disappointment swept through her. She shifted next to him, caressing his arm.

He smiled at her again as his fingers tangled in her long hair. "I meant here."

"What here?"

"We can't get married here."

"We…oh. No, I meant we can't get married anywhere, John."

"What? No, Moy, we will get married. Just not here."

"No, John, not anywhere!" She sighed. "I love you, John, but we can't get married. Don't you see? I can't stay here. I can't stay here in Atlantis." She sat up and drew the blankets around her, staring at the darkness as tears filled her eyes. "It's…it's not safe."

He watched her. "It will be safe, Moira. I promise you it will be safe. I love you, Moira, and you are going to be my wife, here, in Atlantis. Don't you worry, sweetheart." He ran his hand up her bare back. "Come here, baby."

The touch of his calloused fingers on her bare skin made her shiver, but not from the cold. She shook her head, stubborn. "No. Sweetie, everything's changed now. I can't marry you, John. What if, what if I get sick again? What if I start having hallucinations again?"

"Are you? Having hallucinations again?" he asked.

"No. But what if I do?"

"Then we'll tackle them together, Moy. As for the rest…don't you worry. Come here. I want you on me, baby."

She sighed, turned to him. She snuggled on him as his arm slid round her. She kissed him. "John, John…I can't do this. I can't do this to you. You would be, be better off with Ann. You would be—"

"What? Don't be silly, honey. I want you. Only you." He rolled them so she was underneath him again. He kissed her, shifting on her, intentions obvious now. "Moira, my Moira. Don't go getting cold feet now, baby. We aren't even at the altar yet but we will be."

She smiled. "Jo-hn," she drew out his name, "what about my cold feet now?" She ran a foot up his leg.

"Shit!" he replied and she laughed. He smiled. "Don't you worry, baby, I will warm you head to toes and back again…all night."

"Naughty, naughty colonel," she teased.

He grinned.

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Rodney snorted. He sat up from the computer, staring round and wondering what had awoken him in the middle of the night or morning. Blearily he glanced at the clock, then the monitor. "Shit!" He woke and typed on the keyboard. "Come on, come on, come on!"

The machines were sluggish, which was odd considering that everything had been running smoothly. He glanced at the power levels and they were fine. It was like the city was deliberately being difficult; as if it was trying to block him or delay him, which was just crazy. Wasn't it?

He stood. Yelling at the computer wasn't doing any good and he couldn't access the primary systems in his lab. Someone was, however, and using a code he didn't recognize. He tapped his earpiece. "Sheppard! John, get to the control room now! Someone is accessing the Stargate!"

He ran out of his lab.

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John was jolted out of sleep by an alarm, followed by Rodney's loud voice. The room was dark. John sat up, swearing and looked over to find himself alone in the bed. He glanced to the bathroom where a light was shining under the door. "Don't you worry, sweetheart, just stay in here and wait 'til I get back!"

He jumped out the bed and pulled on his clothes. He took off at a run towards the control room. "McKay, what the hell is going on?" he barked into his earpiece. "McKay!"

He skidded to a halt in the control room and did a spin to see the Stargate just as the event horizon winked out of existence. "What the hell just happened? Who dialed the 'Gate? What was the address?" He pushed past Carson and Jason to face the physicist.

"I have no idea, I mean somehow she accessed the system and yes I can find out the address just hang on a sec!" Rodney shouted, fingers flying over the keyboards. "I'll have to use a manual override on this and backtrack for the address!"

"Who? Who?" John looked round. He had a sinking feeling in his stomach and he tried to ignore it. "No," he said quietly. Pieces began to fall into place in his mind and now random things were making sense. She had been trying to let him down gently; trying to run away from him and now it appeared she had done just that despite loving him.

"Why would she access the Stargate?" Carson asked, moving to the console.

"I think she might be compromised by the fuglies, sir," Jason suggested.

"What the hell is going on?" Ronon asked, joining them. "Where is Amelia?"

"Amelia?" John asked. His gut was twisting as he glanced round the room. "Just who accessed the Stargate, Rodney!" he barked. "Who?" he shouted.


	6. Chapter 6

Stargate Atlantis: S7 The Fossil Key

Part Five: Extinction Debt6

John ran. He sprinted to her room, charged in and skidded to a halt. "Moira!" The biologist was standing near the bed, fully clothed. She whirled at his approach, startled. Although John knew that it had been Amelia who had gone through the 'Gate he had to be sure that Moira was still in Atlantis. Relief flooded him. He strode to her and pulled her into his arms, into a kiss.

Moira returned the kiss, pushing gently away to stare at him. "John? John, what's wrong? What is happening? Are we under attack?"

"No. Amelia went through the Stargate"

"What? Why?" Moira exclaimed.

"Moira. Promise me you will never leave me."

"What?" His sudden gravity threw her as did the change in topic.

"Promise me you will never leave me. Promise me you will marry me," John said, voice low, threaded with emotion.

Moira stared. She could see the depth of his love, his need for her, the vulnerability of admitting it and any doubts she had held about his true feelings faded away. She touched his face, tenderly drawing her fingers along his bruised jaw. "You thought I went through the 'Gate…" she realized, understanding his panic and his words now, the assurances he needed. "I love you, John. I promise I will never leave you. I promise I will marry you." Tears sparkled in her brown eyes. "Oh John." She hugged him.

John smiled, returning the hug. He kissed her brow. "Moira. My Moira." He was calmer now, on surer ground. He was certain of her love and her trust, and that was really all that mattered to him. He drew back to meet her gaze. "I need you with me, Moy. Come on!" He freed her, grabbed her hand and led her out of the room.

"John? What's happened? I mean why did Amelia leave Atlantis and where did she go?"

"I have no idea, but we are going to find out."

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"I can't work with you breathing down my neck!" Rodney flared, as the Satedan towered over him and crowding him more than John ever did.

"Find her!" Ronon ordered, seething and worried at the same time.

"You have no idea where she went, or why?" Jason asked, but he quailed as Ronon glared at him. The look was answer enough that he was in the dark as much as everyone else.

"This doesn't make any sense, any sense at all!" Carson agreed, shaking his head.

"Do you have a location yet?" John asked, leading Moira into the control room.

"Not yet! If you all keep interrupting me it just take…oh. Here we go. Got the address." Rodney frowned as everyone crowded round him, but it was the computer screen that was souring his mood. "We've been there, years ago. There's a Wraith outpost there, and guess what? It's right in the path of the fuglies." He pointed as a map appeared and highlighted the planet.

"Shit," John muttered, glancing at Moira as she stepped to view the screen. Her fingers tightened on his. "What is it?"

"That planet…it…their trajectory is that way. It was in the neural interface," Moira said slowly, staring at the screen.

"We already know that! Let's go!" Ronon barked.

John met his gaze, glaring. "Get your gear. We go in five. Reynolds, heavy ordnance and prep a Jumper. I'm not taking any chances."

"Yes, sir!" Jason quickly followed Ronon out of the room.

"John, are you sure about this? I mean apart from being a Wraith stronghold if the fuglies are there…" Rodney left the rest unsaid.

"Fuck. That's why she went," John realized.

"What? What am I missing?" Carson asked.

"Moira, talk to me," John said. "What do I need to know?"

She shook her head, gaze narrowing as she tried to remember. "The trajectory…they…I can't quite remember the…" She rubbed her temple. "John, John…they're dying."

"Who is dying?" Rodney asked.

"Who is dying, Moira? The fuglies? The Wraith?" John asked, catching her wrist as she kept rubbing at the bruise on her temple. "Moira, look at me."

She met his gaze. "John…I can't remember! There's something about that trajectory and those planets but I can't remember!"

"It's all right, Moira. You will, in time. For now stay here with Rodney. I'll be back in twenty." John looked at the physicist. "You know what to do if things go south."

"John?" she asked, catching him arm. "Be, be careful."

"I will, don't you worry, baby." He kissed her. "I'll be back in time for the wedding." He winked at her and headed out of the control room.

"What? What wedding? What wedding?" Rodney called after him.

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"Crap." John slowed the Jumper as it flew across the landscape, or rather what was left of it. A tremendous battle had taken place. There was debris everywhere, pieces of ships, abandoned weapons and bodies. There were bodies of both Wraith and fuglies, so tangled and torn it was difficult to tell the differences between the two species.

"Can you find her?" Ronon asked. He was leaning so close to the viewport his forehead almost hit it as he scoured the bleak landscape.

"Yes…one life sign, human," John said. He landed the ship, leaving it cloaked. "Wait!" he called as Ronon was already heading for the hatchway. John scanned the area. "We've got company but it's sporadic. We need to make this fast."

The three men exited the Jumper and headed across the wasteland. It was a landscape of grays and blacks. Nothing stirred. Nothing moved. There was a sick smell in the air. It was the stench of decay.

"Amelia!" Ronon ran towards a prone figure on the ground. John and Jason joined him. Ronon carefully turned his wife onto her back. "She's unconscious…pulse is weak," he said, pressing his fingers to her throat.

"Get her to the Jumper. Reynolds, go with him."

"Sir?" The major had the unnerving feeling that they were all being watched.

"I said go with him," John repeated curtly.

John watched as Ronon lifted Amelia off the ground and carried her back the way they three men had come. Jason followed, gun raised as if he suspected something. John scowled, looking round. "You can come out now. I know you're here. I don't have a lot of time!"

There was movement in the shadows and John raised his gun. Something was moving in the gray debris against the gray background and it took a moment for the colors to coalesce into a recognizable form.

"John Sheppard…at last." Todd smiled.

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"I remember!"

Moira's exclamation startled both men as they were studying a monitor. They exchanged glances and moved to her. "Remember what?" Rodney asked.

Moira met Rodney's gaze. "I remember the planet! I mean why it seemed familiar to me! It has nothing to do with the Homo erectus!"

"Well, that certainly clears up things," Rodney caustically noted.

"Rodney," Carson warned. "What do you remember, love?"

"The Wraith! It's one of their new contact points for our alliance with them…they must have contacted us and…"

"Radio transmissions!" Rodney stepped to a console and rapidly typed. "We've been monitoring all sorts of traffic but have been concentrating on fugly signals, not Wraith! There! Time and place…this is all of the stuff that Amelia was monitoring…that John insisted she keep track of."

"And that's why she went there?" Carson asked, puzzled.

"I don't know…Moira?"

"What? I don't know either." She considered. "John always said we needed that alliance, until I…" She touched her temple. "We still need it."

"Against the fuglies, yes. But why not tell any of us about it? And why send Amelia?"

"I don't think he did." Carson was looking at the transmission. He reached over and turned up the speaker. "Hear that?" A low-pitched sound was emanating from the speaker. It was almost below the threshold of hearing and it was oddly seductive, suggestive. Carson turned off the speaker. "Imagine hearing that with a headphone set while receiving this message…and if it had the force of a queen behind it…"

"You mean she was compelled to go there? Why?" Rodney asked.

"To broker the alliance. No…to get John there!" Moira realized.

All three looked over at the inert Stargate.

It too late to warn the men of the trap.

It was too late to warn John.

It was too late.


	7. Chapter 7

Stargate Atlantis: S7 The Fossil Key

Part Five: Extinction Debt7

"I shoulda known a bullet to the head wouldn't kill you." John held his gun aimed at the Wraith as Todd moved towards him. He looked pretty good for a dead guy, clad in gray and black and his greenish pallor was even creepier on his gaunt face. There was even a slight coloration to his cheeks and John realized that Todd had fed. Recently. "You fed on her."

Todd smiled. "Only a taste, to render her unconscious. And yes, John Sheppard, you did kill me. Our queen was gracious enough to revive me."

John's fingers tightened on his gun as Todd's sensuous voice slithered up his spine. "Your queen, pal, not mine!"

"Yours as well, since we are in this alliance. You will come with me now to—"

"No. I will contact you once we are ready. We are gonna kick these fuglies out of here once and for all, got it? I managed to take down one of their ships and damage another."

"Truly?" Todd tilted his head. "That is most impressive, John Sheppard."

"Damn right it is, but we can't take on the fleet by ourselves. That's where you come in. You and your queen's fleet of Hive ships." John began to walk back towards where the Jumper was. "I'm not going with you this time."

"There will be a next time?" Todd seemed amused, which made John nervous.

"Yeah, for the attack. Right now we just exchange intel and I'll contact you when the time is right."

"You act as if you are in charge, John Sheppard."

"That's because I am." John saw them. Furtive motions in the debris and dark. More Wraith that were beginning to circle his position. He kept moving backwards. He felt around in his TAC vest and produced a flash drive. "Here. Our intel. Yours is on her?"

Todd smiled, catching the flash drive. "Yes, and in her mind. We prefer a more organic approach. You needn't have bothered, John Sheppard. You are coming with us."

"No. Sorry, I can't. I've got a wedding to get to. See ya."

"A wedding? What wedding?"

The flash bomb precluded further discussion as John lobbed it towards the Wraith, spun round and ran. He ran.

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The sound of weapons being discharged made Ronon and Jason step out of the Jumper. They stared round, uncertain, seeing nothing until a figure emerged from the gloom running straight for them.

"Fire it up!" John shouted, whirling to shoot. He ran towards the cloaked Jumper as Ronon provided cover fire. Wraith were running towards them, firing laser weapons that tore up the ground.

"Go, go, go!" Ronon shouted, stepping aside as John ran into the Jumper and to the front of the ship, taking a second to see that Amelia was still unconscious and strapped into a seat. Ronon slammed the hatch shut and nearly fell as the ship abruptly took off, flying over the land and spinning in a circle to head for the Stargate.

Jason was already dialing. "Sir? There were Wraith here still?"

"Yes, major, good of you to notice!" John flew in a beeline towards the Stargate as it began to activate. He swerved as a missile nearly took out a drive pod. He had to deactivate the cloak to return the favor, directing Drones to lay a line and discourage any more pot shots. "And they are a little touchy too!"

"You knew they would be here?" Ronon asked, suspicious. He glanced at his wife. He moved to sit behind John and clamped one hand on the military commander's shoulder. "You sent her here?" Surprise was giving way to anger.

"I knew they were here. And no, I didn't send her, not exactly. She was supposed to report to me, but the Wraith must have loaded the message with something."

"You knew the Wraith would contact us, sir? About the fuglies?" Jason asked, bewildered.

"You knew they were here and you sent her here?" Ronon repeated. His anger was a vivid noise in his voice now.

John glanced over her shoulder at the irate Satedan. "It was an acceptable risk. She was in the way," he said, parroting back the words that Ronon had said about Moira. A glint of a smile haunted his lips and he turned back to pilot the ship as Ronon fumed. "Easy now. Sending IDC. Atlantis, this is Sheppard. Have medical on stand-by."

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"Medical? What the…got it! Lowering the Shield!" Rodney's fingers flew over the controls as Carson was running to get his medical kit. Moira was heading for the Stargate. Rodney followed her there, watching as the symbols lit one by one.

The KAWOOSH erupted, filling the room, then snapped back to a shimmering pool. A laser shot out of it, slamming into the wall and Rodney grabbed Moira, shoving them both to the floor and out of the way.

As the Jumper emerged from the event horizon John was greeted with the odd sight of his friend sprawled on top of his fiancée. He smirked, shaking his head. "Close the Shield!" At his voice the Shield enclosed the event horizon. A second later it evaporated, leaving an empty Stargate.

John landed the ship and turned to see Jason opening the hatchway. Amelia was in Ronon's arms and Carson was hastening to them, worry on his face.

"Set her here!" Carson knelt on the floor as Ronon tenderly set his wife down, cradling her. The doctor felt her pulse, checked her heart and her eyes. "She's fine, just unconscious. A little weak, though…" He glanced up at John as he recalled that there had been Wraith on the planet.

"She's got intel in her head…she'll remember it once she wakes up," John informed.

Carson blinked at John's matter-of-fact tone and eyed Amelia. "Let's get her to a bed where I can monitor her more closely. She'll be fine, Ronon. She's very strong."

"Take her."

Jason reluctantly took Amelia, lifting the unconscious major and carrying her after Carson as he led them out of the 'Gate room.

John powered down the ship, deciding to move it later. He stepped out of the vessel and eyed Rodney and Moira as they were approaching. "Thanks, Rodney, but next time get off my fiancée."

"John!" Moira called suddenly.

The first punch swung wide as John ducked and swerved out of the way, saved by Moira's warning. He grinned at the angry Satedan. "Feel better?"

"Not until I hit you!" Ronon flared. "You knew! You knew the Wraith were there!"

"Yes, I did, but I didn't send her! She was supposed to report to me!" Ronon's fist connected and the crack was audible. John staggered but returned the favor, knocking Ronon across the face so hard that blood spurted from his mouth.

"She was fed on!" Ronon flared, spitting and circling again. His hands were balled into fists and he was furious. More than that, however, he felt betrayed and it did not sit well with him.

John rubbed his jaw, keeping out of the bigger man's reach. "Sorry about that."

"Was that an acceptable risk? Was she in the way?"

"No, that wasn't. I miscalculated. It won't happen again."

"It had better fucking not!"

"The same goes for you, pal!"

Moira wisely kept out of the way, brown eyes wide as the two men circled each other. She took hold of Rodney's arm as he was about to intervene. "Leave it."

"What? What the hell is wrong with them?"

"It's a typical male dominance issue plus an Alpha territorial dispute involving their mates, respectively. There can only be one Alpha and one Alpha couple and in this limited territory tensions flare hotter than in a wider population."

"Huh?"

"Huh?" John and Ronon said at the same time, pausing to look at Moira.

She smiled, freeing Rodney's arm and moving to take hold of John's arm. "John, I need to talk to you. Can you boys settle this later? Have a beer or something? Let's go." She led him out of the 'Gate room past a staring Ronon and Rodney.

John smiled, walking with Moira as she led him to the control room. "You didn't need to do that, you know. I could have taken him."

"Really? Where, to the infirmary? I don't want your pretty face bruised again." John snorted. He swatted her rear. She whirled. "John!"

He laughed. "Hey, baby, you started it. Moy…"

"No," she said to his suggestive leer. She led him to the monitor. "The message. I remembered."

"I knew you would eventually. No harm no foul, Moira. Payback's a bitch."

"John? John, you are taking too many risks here."

"I know. I didn't know that she would go through the Stargate. I underestimated the queen's powers. Won't happen again."

"And the trap they set for you!"

"Yeah, that too. Don't you worry, Moira. We need this alliance, but I won't be fooled a second time. Told you I'd get back for our—"

"John!"

John had been about to kiss Moira. He frowned, turning as Rodney joined them. "Get that message ready, Rodney. It's time."

"Time for what? Care to fill the rest of us in on this grand plan of yours that involves the Wraith?" Rodney snapped.

"No. Dial Earth."

"Earth? Are you sure?" Rodney stared, skeptical and hopeful at the same time.

"Are you sure, John?" Moira asked, equally skeptical. She caught his arm as if to restrain him although he hadn't moved from her side.

John smiled at Rodney, then at Moira. "Yes, I'm sure. It's time to get our people home. All of them. It's time we restored Atlantis."

THE END


End file.
